The King Cancelling his Servant's Debt, from the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, bound in Thesaurus Sacrarum historiarum Veteris et Novi Testamenti 1585

Editor: This engraving, "The King Cancelling his Servant's Debt" from 1585, renders a scene with incredible detail, but is entirely black and white. The expressions are somewhat rigid. What structural components draw your eye? Curator: Note how the composition's perspective directs the gaze. The figures are arranged within the pictorial space to emphasize depth and narrative clarity. The orthogonals converge towards a vanishing point. The implied lines draw your eye towards the King. Do you observe how the artist’s deployment of shadow delineates form, granting the figures volume and presence? Editor: Yes, the use of shading certainly defines the shapes. But what's with the dog in the foreground? It almost seems out of place given the weighty subject matter. Curator: Precisely, consider how its presence interrupts the otherwise formal composition. Note also how the lines created by the figure of the servant run at an angle against the orthogonal lines established by the room and table. Editor: I see that. It’s like the whole story is staged inside a box. But if it were reframed with a different style of shading and the lines and orthogonals were changed, the same story could feel different. Curator: Precisely. Each formal element contributes to the reading of this image and how that affects its relation to others who have attempted this very topic and similar ones. It's through attention to composition and form that we begin to understand the meaning and impact of the artwork. Editor: It makes me want to redraw this and consider what formal qualities would shape the way a contemporary audience sees it. Thanks, that really changes how I'll be thinking about these works.